Tsibugan Na!

Filipinos by nature are food lovers. In any place, on any occasion, we can always find some excuse to munch a little and munch a little more. We look for that something different,something old something sweet and maybe something exotic � anything to satisfy the cravings of the eyes and taste buds. Suffice it to say that eating for the Filipinos is an expression and a lifestyle. This �way of life� originally cherished at home is extended by the innovative Pinoy a bit farther to the streets and roadside and call these foods pagkaing kalye or street food. Street food offers convenience to workers and passersby �who have no time to prepare their meals� or afford to dine in their restaurants. It becomes the pasalubong of the homeward-bound or sometimes, simply fills a longing to eat something one has grown up with. Street food is not merely a product of the adventurous Filipinos� demand for something unusual, neither is it an economic phenomenon that arises during economic crisis, but part of a history of interaction with other nations. Even before the advent of the bicycle-pedaled ice cream, Chinese vendors have already served noodles and carried baskets of pan de sal on the streets. Moreover, nineteenth century paintings show vendors of carabao�s milk, rice cakes, and fruits. In the American period, specialties like puto, bibingka Chinese bicho-bicho and buchi were among the favorites. Meanwhile, castanog � �a piece of coconut meat roasted in live charcoal, aspiring to the flavor and texture of chestnut (castanas and binatog � boiled corn kernels mixed with salt and grated coconut became popular during the Japanese occupation. (Fernandez, 1994) In the 90s, this tradition found its way to schools, transportation centers and urban office sites. Western food like French fries sold in semi-permanent stalls entered the market. However, the traditional Philippine street food continued to sell well despite the competition. Moreover, certain innovations were made to suit the times. Early in the morning, the familiar call of the taho vendor is heard in the residential areas. This man, who sells soy bean curd mixed with syrup and sago (in mostly the same neighborhood) is fondly called �Mang Taho� by regular customers (suki), who through the years have become his friends, and whose children he has watched grow up. Another kind of street food in the residential areas are those prepared by housewives who became instant entrepreneurs by serving home-made products like rice cakes, halo-halo, and the sugar-coated banana cue. Some even set up a row of pots (calderos) to install a mini carinderia (diner), which help, pay for some household expenses. Meanwhile in the busy thoroughfares, the long hours of traffic become more bearable when one buys nuts packed in brown paper from the peanut vender. Other foods that become commuters� past time or libangan include the chicharon, corn, and peeled mangoes but like flowers and matched with salt or bagoong. On the other hand, fishball carts are equipped with woks on burners and containers of sauces are seen in familiar stops like a curb or beside a building. Fish balls are deep-fried and placed on sticks. Then, they are dipped into the condiment (sawsawan) and eaten while standing. Some say that since these can be bought wholesale n stores, vendor�s creativity is found in the creation of his condiment (sawsawan) or condiment. Today, fish ball vendors also sell kikiam, squid balls, hot dogs, and quail eggs. Barbecues are also popular particularly during afternoons and evenings. In the 1950s, only chicken legs, thighs, and breasts were skewered and barbecued. But during the economic crisis of the 70s, nearly every part of the chicken and pork were used � chicken wings, neck, feet, tail, intestines, pig�s ears and intestines. Interestingly, these were given names like Adidas (shoe brand) for chicken feet, PAL (Philippine Airlines) for the wings, Walkman for pig�s ears, and helmet for cockscombs. Almost all elementary and secondary schools ion the country experience a tide of vendors outside their campuses every recess time. These people sell variety of inexpensive food like the thirst-quenching sago�t gulaman, junk food, fruit shakes, popcorn, and cotton candy. The dirty ice cream placed in carts with insulated wells is one of the most in demand for children despite warnings from their mothers that these are unsafe to eat. The patronage is probably due to its colorful presentation

(some are even shaped like flowers), and minimal price. They come in cones or with buns.A different kind of street food has appeared in the business area of Makati. Behind the buildings of Manila�s Wall Street � Ayala Avenue � motorized vendors in jeepneys and small vans,
park to sell sandwiches, siomai, siopao, fruits, and sometimes soup and lunch dishes all in plastic bags. Finally one cannot speak about street food without mentioning the balut. Balut is a fertilized duck�s egg, boiled, and then eaten by cracking one end and sipping its soup then cracking the rest of the shell to expose the yolk and tiny chick inside. For the Filipino, the best balut is 17 days old when the chick is still wrapped in white and does not show beaks or feathers. A Pateros vendor once explained that 16 days old balut is often sold to foreigners particularly Westerners who might not be used to such kind of food. The older ones are sold by bus terminal vendors, �who will never see their customers again, who will not hear their recriminations, or form friendships with them.�(Fernandez, 1994) Some call it the national street food of the Philippines for it is practical, nutritious, and available all year round. The street food phenomenon could be explained by the Filipino concept of meal. For us, aside from the three major meals named according to times of the day, (agahan, tanghalian, hapunan), one can eat snacks between to tide over hunger � pantawid gutom. Moreover, meals are a communal activity. We truly enjoy eating when we can share it with others, even with strangers. Thus the streets become the extension of our homes where we can sit, chat, and eat with family and friends. And as writer Millie Reyes puts if �One can only burp with joy.�(The Food of the Philippines, 1999)

Sources: Fernandez, Doreen. Balut to Barbecue: Philippine Sytreetfood, in Tikim:Essays on Philippine Food and Culture. (Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1994). The Food of the Philippines. Singapore: Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., 1999.